Chapter 9 - Alcohol Flashcards
What is the only alcohol fit for human consumption?
ethyl alcohol (ethanol)
Both ____ and ____ are commonly encountered but are completely unsafe to drink
isopropyl and methyl alcohol (or methanol)
percentage of alcohol (or alcohol by volume) refers to…
the amount of alcohol in grams per 100 ml of solution
-proof of alcohol is twice the number of the percentage
how much is one standard drink?
14 grams of 100% alcohol
-1.5oz of 50% alcohol
-5oz of wine
-12oz of beer
alcohol is produced by ____, which is ____
fermentation; the product of yeast consuming starches and sugars in grains or fruits
-upper limit of % produced is about 15%
-wine 12-15%, beer 5%
What is distillation?
process that increases the percentage of alcohol in a solution by heating then condensing vapour
-used to make drinks with much higher alc concentrations (rum, vodka, etc)
History of alcohol
fermented since at least 6000 BC (mentions of wine in the bible); used by Greeks for medicine and recreation; pubs appeared in England by the 12th century
pharmacokinetics of alcohol
ethanol is water and lipid soluble so it is easily absorbed; enters via GI tract; quicker absorption on an empty stomach and thru carbonated drinks
Alcohol impairs which transporter in the upper GI?
thiamine (B1); can create deficiencies on body and brain
What is Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC)?
grams of alcohol per 100ml of blood; BAC = 0.04 is produced by about two drinks; max BAC occurs after 45mins; used for legal definitions of intoxication
metabolizing alcohol
occurs in stomach and liver; converted by alcohol dehydrogenase; some is metabolized by the P450 enzyme (CYP2E1)
alcohol dehydrogenase 1C*1 allele polymorphism
increased alcohol dehydrogenase; alcohol converted to acetaldehyde more quickly; greater accumulation of acetaldehyde
acetaldehyde H2*2 allele polymorphism
less aldehyde dehydrogenase; slower breakdown of acetaldehyde; greater accumulation of acetaldehyde (e.g., flushing of face)
-~1/2 of people of Asian descent
elimination of alcohol follows ____
zero order kinetics; on average about 7g of alcohol per half hour (half a standard drink)
breathalyzer tests use what to determine BAC?
Ratio of alcohol concentration in expelled air to blood is 1:2,300
- 0.11 breathalyzer = 0.11 BAC
alcohol and GABAA receptors
positive modulator for ionotropic GABAA receptors; Cl- ions enter the neuron, hyperpolarize the cell, which inhibits neural activity; Increases the length of receptor activation and increases the flow of Cl- into the neuron